Grasshopper (Orthoptera: Caelifera) and Plant Community Relationships on Indio Mountains Research Station, Hudspeth County, Texas

An ecogeographic analysis of a grasshopper survey was conducted at eight sites on Indio Mountains Research Station (IMRS) in the Chihuahuan Desert during September 2014 through December 2015. Five sites contained ephemeral water sources (earthen tanks), one had perennial water (spring system), and two were open desert. A total of 23 grasshopper species were identified, and six of those were new records for the property. The most species rich site was Echo Tank, with 14 grasshopper species. A UPGMA dendrogram showed Red Tank and Rattlesnake Tank, both wetland sites, to be the most similar (CBR = .84). A poisson model was applied to identify any relationships of temperature, precipitation, vegetation and seasonal patterns between the monsoon and dry season, and between years. The model of species count showed significance for three grasshopper species (p\u3c.03), vegetation coverage among seven grasshopper species (p\u3c.009), and seasonality patterns found in four species (p\u3c.02). Information on variation and spatial pattern of grasshopper biodiversity on IMRS, will allow future studies to compare grasshopper diversity in response to grassland and shrubland ecosystems in an ever increasing arid environment